Valued at €27m by transfermarkt, the German international midfielder’s contract runs out in the summer of 2015 and Dortmund may wish to sell him this summer instead of risking losing him for free the following year.

Manchester United had recently been put on alert after the 23-year-old’s father and agent Irfan Gundogan had reportedly told Kicker magazine that his son was seriously considering his future, remaking that ‘everything is open’.

The Red Devils are in desperate need for a midfield general who possesses both defensive discipline and a creative edge. Players such as Fellaini, Carrick, Jones, Giggs, Cleverly and Kagawa have been tried and tested in that United central midfield area – but none of them have managed to produce the standards needed for United to compete at the top.

Real Madrid’s reported drop in interest arguably clears the path for United, which is excellent news for David Moyes. However, it is said that Los Blancos have their eye fixed on another player – which is bad news for City.

The reported target is Manchester City’s talisman Yaya Toure. The former Barcelona man has been phenomenal for City since he joined the cub. So far this campaign, the Ivorian has notched up 12 goals and a further four assists.

Elgoldigital believe the possible departure of Sami Khedira is behind the decision, and Florentino Perez has opted for Yaya Toure – a man they believe wants to leave City this summer - to provide the muscle that Real Madrid’s midfield need.

It is hard to believe Manchester City would be willing to sell Yaya, but Real Madrid are football’s exception – they don’t like to take no for an answer.

Could such deals happen this summer? Well, when Real Madrid and Manchester United are concerned, the possibilities are all but endless.

Tom Thorogood

I'm a 27 year old language teacher and writer based out in Mexico with a passion for football and swimming. I like to focus on the top European Leagues, especially La Liga, as well as the footballing development in Central and South America. My favourite teams include Derby County, Barcelona and Jagaures de Chiapas.